After studying in Vienna I wanted to live there! Past Review
By Chuck F (German, Central College) for
Central College Abroad: Study Abroad in Vienna, Austria
Not only did I learn German fluently I met people who are now some of my best friends. The experience has changed my outlook; made me open to living outside the US. And it has given me something that I can share with others; I teach a culture/language class over the lunch hour at my workplace.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Vienna |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Time management is very important as most classes only meet once per week. Otherwise the workload is fine. I learned a lot! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Great flexibility to attend classes either at Central's office, or at the Uni. Lots and lots of courses to choose from. I thought the class sizes were about right and the staff is great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Haus Technik (I think it has a different name now). The location is great, the building is a little outdated, but otherwise it was a good living arrangement. |
| * Food: |
No meal plan, at least when I attended, we usually cooked for ourselves or with dormmates. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There is so much to see and do in Vienna, especially in the spring/summer. We often coordinated our own trips on weekends. Austria is close to many countries that most people don't visit and that makes for a unique experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe even late at night. I never had an incident and am very impressed with the cleanliness of the city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Lots of everyday practice opportunities. My roommate was Austrian and most everyone in the dorm spoke German. However, when I was with other Americans on the program we often lapsed back into English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | be prepared for some language challenges, and study German as hard as you can prior to going. DO attend the Goethe Institut course prior to a sememster in Vienna. |
